


The Coward

by Issay



Series: The Brothers Ri [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Dwarves, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 19:18:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3084905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Issay/pseuds/Issay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War waits for no one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Coward

The dwarves are not cowards.  
(Sure, sometimes they are scared, but then they just hold their axes a little bit tighter, so their nails pierce skin and pain is a distraction)  
  
The dwarves are not cowards and they do not run, even to save their lives, so they die in stupid ways. They fight with enemies too powerful for them and they never, ever give up. Being a dwarf bears an obligation, says Dwalin with that scary glint in his eyes and Ori thinks that there is insanity in those eyes.  
(Because being a dwarf means being insane)  
  
When the call from Thorin reaches what is left of the Ri family, Ori is scared.  
(But he would die before admitting it – because being afraid means not being a dwarf)  
But Nori and Dori decide to go, so he forces a smile and says in a voice that is just a little trembling, that all the dragons, orcs and goblins in the world are not enough to scare him.  
(The rest of the company roars with laughter and Ori closes his eyes)  
  
And then there are trolls and goblins, orcs and wargs, huge spiders and magic too powerful for a dwarf to even understand, 'cause the only magic they know is hidden in the shine of jewels, and in gold, and the darkness of their mines.  
(Ori is scared all the time so there is a moment when fear becomes his natural state of mind and he does not feel it anymore)  


Just before the battle – with a too heavy war hammer and armour not fitted for someone his posture, Ori is not scared for himself. He is afraid that his brothers will fall or that they will lose, or that he will have to kill someone who deserves to live. Ori would give up all the gold in Erebor if it was up to him. But it is not.  
(And war waits for no one)  


Long, long after that Ori wonders whether Thorin was afraid. Whether there was fear in young princes' eyes before they drew their last breaths.  
(Ori fears that he will never find something worth dying for)  
He thinks that it is a good thing that the whole line died together.  
(Scribe throws the quill in the far corner of the room, no one would ever read this shaming thought, no one would ever know)  
  
When the call to Moria reaches Ori, he does not fight his fate.  
(He wears the same armour that Dwalin gave him just before the Battle and reaches for the hammer that is still too heavy. He is not sure if he is still afraid)  
  
And then there are drums and the white sarcophagus in the white, cold light, and there is no fear. Just the awareness of what is coming. And all Ori can see is determination written on the faces of the dwarves surrounding him, determination not to be cowards. So he holds his hammer a little bit tighter. So his nails pierce skin.  
  
(Dwarves aren't cowards. Dwarves die with their heads held high)  



End file.
